


Bare

by LouismyFinnick



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-01
Updated: 2014-05-31
Packaged: 2018-01-27 20:57:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1722302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LouismyFinnick/pseuds/LouismyFinnick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello everyone, this is my first time publishing and writing a complete fanfic, so please be kind. I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies in the practice of Catholicism I may write, there is only so much one can learn about religion on the internet. This story is based off of an Off-Broadway musical I stumbled upon, but the story line has been changed a bit. Feedback is encouraged, but please be respectful. Thank you.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Bare

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, this is my first time publishing and writing a complete fanfic, so please be kind. I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies in the practice of Catholicism I may write, there is only so much one can learn about religion on the internet. This story is based off of an Off-Broadway musical I stumbled upon, but the story line has been changed a bit. Feedback is encouraged, but please be respectful. Thank you.

"Harry, I-"  
  
"Come on, Louis. This is stupid. Let's get back inside."  
  
"Please." Louis begs. "Just...hear me out for a second."  
  
Harry rolls his emerald eyes and smirks. "Alright Lou. One second."  
  
Louis takes a deep breath before looking at Harry and gathering his courage. Where does he start?  
  
"Harry, I...I moved here because my mum forced me to...because she thought it would...help me. But she doesn't understand, I mean, I'm trying to make her understand but…"  
Louis shakes his head to try to unscramble all the things buzzing through his mind.  
  
"What are you trying to get at?" Harry looks at him cautiously.  
  
Louis sighs, "What I'm trying to say is...I tried to change myself. I’ve tried to stop myself from feeling this way for years, but then I met you. And everything just feels so...right with you." He looks up to see Harry's reaction. As soon as he does, he immediately wishes he hadn't. Harry looks at him incredulously and takes a step back.  
"What- Are you trying to tell me you're gay?!"  
  
"No! No no," Louis regrets everything. He shouldn't have said anything. His mother was right, he fucks everything up. His heart is racing and Harry is staring at him like he's a spawn of the Devil. It's too late to turn back now, the damage is already done. He can't take back his words. His voice comes out shy and embarrassed, "Yes."  
  
Harry's eyes widen as he starts backing away from Louis. "You- you need to go to Father, Louis. Go confess yourself to him and get fucking help. And stay the fuck away from me." Harry turns away disgusted and jogs toward the school doors.  
  
"Fuck!" Louis yells and kicks at the stones on the ground. Tears sting the back of his eyes. "What have I done what have I fucking done?" He chokes out to himself, fighting back tears but losing the battle as they start to stain his cheeks. He's ruined everything. He'll have to move schools again. How will he tell his mum? How will he explain this to his friends? Louis slams his fists against the outside wall of the school and lets himself slide down until he's curled in on himself, crying into his knees.  
  
     The lunch bell rings a few minutes later signaling its time to go back to class. Louis tries to regain his composure and go back into school like nothing happened. He realizes this isn't going to be the case, because the second he walks in all eyes are on him. Everyone walking through the halls and standing at their lockers all look at him with disgust, some with fear. Louis swallows the lump in his throat and walks with his head down to his next class. He passes his friend Liam and tries to give a small smile, only for him to turn away and slam his locker closed. He walks past Louis briskly leaving nothing but a whisper of a word that Louis almost misses, but then it hits him. "Faggot."

His breath catches in his throat. What? Where did that come from? Harry hadn't said anything, had he? Why would he tell him? Then another thought glooms on him. Is that why everyone is staring at him? It can't be. Harry wouldn't tell _everyone_ , would he? Louis leaves his panicked thoughts and quickly walks to his class.  
  
"There's the abomination."  
  
Louis stops in his tracks. He looks up at his teacher. "Sister Catherine?"  
  
"Sorry Louis, we don't accept your kind here. You'll have to go talk with Father. Maybe he can save you, but I would count your blessings. He's a minister not a prophet."  
  
Louis gasps and looks at everyone around him. They're all staring and pointing, comments and whispers fly around the room hitting Louis like bullets.  
  
"Now, now kids settle down," Sister Catherine says. "Don't hate the sinner, hate the sin. God be with you, Louis."  
  
Louis turns on his heels and sprints out of the auditorium. He doesn’t stop until he’s at his dorm room, where his stuff is thrown in a pile in the hallway. He opens the door slowly and steps inside. His voice is small. "Harry?"  
  
Harry appears out of the corner of the room. "What are you doing here? Get out."  
  
"Harry can I just-"

  
"Get out!"  
  
Louis jumps and runs out of the room, terrified of disgruntling Harry any more. He tries to make it down the hallway but his legs give out under him. He tucks his knees up to his chest and cries, his small body shaking with every whimper.  
  
"Louis."  
  
He can hear Harry's voice down the hallway. He's probably come to make sure he's gone for good. He hears Harry say his name again, but he can't get up, he's paralyzed with fear and pain. Harry must be getting closer, because he hears his name louder, fiercer this time. He feels Harry towering over him; a hand touches his shoulder, shaking him.  
  
"Louis!"  
  
Louis jerks up on his bed, opening his eyes and breathing heavily. Harry sits on his bedside, looking concerned. He takes a minute to adjust before he realizes he's in his room, with all his things inside. It was just a dream. A nightmare, really. Thank God.  
  
"Are you alright?" Harry's worried eyes scan his face, searching for a clue as to what just happened.  
  
Louis sits up in bed and wipes his face with his hands. He groans when they come back wet, he had been crying in his sleep.  
  
"Yeah," Louis clears his throat so his next words don't come out as choked and raspy. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a dream, that's all."  
  
"Must've been one hell of a dream." Harry gives a small grin to lighten the mood. "I was yelling and shaking you to get you to snap out of it."  
  
"Oh." That explains some things. "I didn't wake you, did I?"  
  
"No, I was up before you started crying, no worries." He tries to sound lighthearted, but it's ruined by the worried look on his face.  
  
"Good. So how about breakfast, yeah?"  
  
"Are you sure you're alright? You know you can talk to me about anything-"  
  
"Yeah okay, I'll tell you after breakfast." Louis says hurriedly and scrambles out of bed. "I'm starving."  
  
"Alright." Harry speaks cautiously. They throw on some clothes for the day and walk down to the dining hall. Louis has no intention of telling Harry his dream after breakfast.  
  


  
  
The rest of the day goes on normally; they eat breakfast, go to class, lunch, more classes, then back to their dorm. Harry starts to write his senior speech and Louis only chats with him a little because he doesn't want to be bothersome.  
  
"Your speech isn't due until the end of the year, and it's getting late. That's enough progress for today, don't you think?"  
  
Harry turns to him from his desk and grins. "Why? Want some alone time with me before you fall asleep?"  
  
Louis bites the inside of his cheek to keep from blushing. "You've caught me."  
  
Harry chuckles and sets down his pen. "You're right. I'm done for today."  
  
He stands up from his desk and walks towards Louis' bed where he lay casually. He picks up the miscellaneous books and papers strewn about his bed and sets them on the floor before crawling in next to him. His arms wrap around Louis' waist and his face burrows into Louis' hair. Harry always plays the bromance game to the highest level, and Louis wasn't going to complain any time soon.  
  
"You smell nice."  
  
Louis snorts. "Is that supposed to win me over?"  
  
"So nice I could kiss you." Harry caresses his side and hums near his ear jokingly. Louis squirms a bit uncomfortably, trying not to let himself be bothered.  
  
"I would've thought the womanizer of the school would have better pick up lines than that." Louis jokes.  
  
"If you don't want my cuddles then I'll take them back." Harry climbs out of his bed and sits down on the edge of his own. Louis' heart aches in his chest, but he just smiles and stretches out on his own bed to make it seem like he's more comfortable without Harry.  
  
"You know there are girls that would've killed to be in your position."  
  
"I'll remember to be more thankful for you squishing me into the corner of my bed next time."  
  
"That's all I ask."  
  
They both laugh and Louis turns off his lamp. "Night Harry."

  
"Nightie night Lou." Harry sing songs back and turns off his lamp.  
  


  
            "Louis!" Harry shakes Louis awake. He shoots up in his bed, chest heaving, and looks around the room frantically. Harry sits on his bed, looking more concerned than ever.  


"Another nightmare?"

  
  
Louis swallows the lump in his throat and nods solemnly.  
  
"Same one as the night before?"  
  
Louis' voice comes out small. "Pretty much, yeah."  
  
"Well the offer is still up if you want to talk about it."  
  
"No, I'm alright."  
  
Harry seems hurt, but all he says is, "Okay," before getting up and finding clothes for himself on his side of the dorm.  
 

  
  
  
"You see her?"  
Liam points to a group of girls chatting at their lockers together. Louis isn’t paying attention, his thoughts are blurred from sleep loss, but he murmurs, "Yeah," as if he’s interested.  
  
"She's the most beautiful girl in the school. She paints, you know?"  
  
"Really?" Louis tries to sound enthused.  
  
"Yeah. I'm thinking of asking her out."  
  
Louis looks at Liam, and then follows his gaze to the girl he's talking about. Louis' eyes grow wide and he stares at Liam astounded. "Ivy?!"  
  
"Keep your voice down ya wanker!" He slaps Louis on the back of the head.  
  
"Sorry, but...why her?!"  
  
"Why not her?"  


"You know her reputation, Liam. She sleeps with everything that has a pulse."

  
  
"Do not judge and you will not be judged."  
  
"Nice Bible studies, good Catholic."  
  
"I'm serious Louis, I really like her. I thought you of all people would back me up on this." The disappointment in Liam's face makes Louis immediately feel guilty.  
  
He sighs. "Alright, I'm sorry. Just...be careful. I don't want her crushing you, mate."  
  
"Thanks, but I'm not worried about her."  
  
Louis opens his mouth to respond, but Liam speaks first, pointing to someone Ivy is approaching. "I'm worried about _him_."  
  
Ivy saunters over to Harry, leaning against the locker next to his as he gathers his things. She says something and Harry turns, facing her. He smiles widely, as if he'd been waiting his whole life to see her, as he does with every other girl he encounters. They begin a conversation that's inaudible from where Louis' Standing. Louis thinks he doesn't want to hear it anyway.  
"Does he talk to her often?"  
  
"You tell me, he's your roommate." Liam looks to him for an answer.  
  
"I don't know any more about his social life than you do." He replies dryly.  
  
"You can't be serious, you two are always together."  
  
Louis shrugs, "He doesn't talk about himself much."  
  
Liam frowns and watches them closely. "I think he's gonna ask her out."  
  
Louis feels his breath fly out of his lungs and strains to keep his voice level. "What?"  
  
"She seems into him, he seems into her. What's stoppin' 'em?"  
  
Louis watches them now, taking in his situation. Ivy, the girl who wakes up to a new face in her bed every morning, has got her new target wrapped around her finger. Harry hangs on every word she says, as if every syllable spoken is of the utmost importance. These are the qualities that intrigue every girl who's ever spoken to him. He makes them feel special. It drives Louis nuts.  
  
"I've made a decision." Louis declares. "I'm going to help you."  
  
"What?" Liam looks at him incredulously. "I thought you-"  
  
"I've changed my mind. I think you may be able to save this girl. And if you succeed, you may even be the second coming of Christ."  
  
Liam laughs and beams at Louis, "Thanks mate."  


  
  
Besides Louis' dreadful morning encounters, the rest of his day goes on as normal. He battles with himself to stay awake during morning classes. He goes to lunch. His afternoon classes move quickly and he's out to roam the campus. He stops at his friend Zayn's dorm to pick up some sleeping pills that he had told him about during French class, where Zayn had observed that Louis look like he’s "two espressos and a sin away from death". It's true, and Louis felt like it, too. He hadn't been sleeping well for two weeks, the nightmares becoming unbearable for the past two nights. But Liam says the sleeping pills will knock him out cold, no dreams, no nightmares. So he decided there's no harm in trying them out. It wasn't until late afternoon when Louis arrived at his dorm. Harry was at his desk, bent over some papers. Louis sat down on his bed and dragged his backpack towards him. Harry looked over and smiled with a smile that could never be replicated by any other being, bringing light to an entire room and warmth throughout your whole body. Louis was sure that smile could win an Oscar.  
  
"How was your day?" Harry puts his pencil down and leans back in his chair.  
  
"Horribly boring with a hint of agony, as usual. Yours?"  
  
"Better than a sermon, but not by much." He grins. Louis smiles in return.  
  
"I don't think it was as bad as you say." Louis doesn't want to pry, or make it sound like he was watching Harry. But it's important for him to know if he's going to help Liam (or himself). "I saw you chatting up a girl this morning."  
  
Harry rolls his eyes and stands from his chair, collecting the papers on his desk. "That girl," He drops the bottom of the papers against his desk, straightening them out before placing them in a folder, "is quite persistent."  
  
Louis waits for him to go on, but he doesn't so he interrogates him a bit more. “Persistent?”

“Yeah,” He places the folder in his bag and sits down on his bed. “She’s asked me twice now to come over to her dorm.”

“And you said no?”

“Yep.” He sounds bored.

“Why? She’s pretty.”

“I don’t sleep around.” Harry pulls his shirt over his head and tosses it at the end of the bed. He lies down and pulls up his covers before wrapping himself in them.

“You don’t?” This is news to him. “But what about all the girls you flirt with? All the nights you stay out partying and stumble into the dorm at ungodly hours of the morning?”

Harry bites his lip, pondering his reply before speaking. “I flirt with the girls because they flirt with me. It’s kind of like a game, really. They all know I won’t do anything, but they have a go at me anyway.” He finishes, then adds quickly, “I tell them right away, that they’re not getting anything out of it. Not rudely, just like ‘Sorry love, but I’m not really interested in a relationship or anything.’ I don’t want them to think I’m leading them on, I’m not a dick. I’m just…not interested.”

“So you’re not interested in anyone?” Louis’ confused. He doesn’t know whether to be relieved by this information or terrified that he knows nothing at all about his roommate.

 

“I never said that.” Harry smirks. “And to answer your second question, I only go to parties when you invite me, and leave them as late as you do.”

 

Louis takes a moment to process his words. But when he finally puts things together, he can’t ask any more questions. Harry has turned in his bed, his back facing Louis, and fallen fast asleep, leaving Louis alone with his thoughts.

 

 

 

“I want you to audition for the school play with me.”

“What?” Harry laughs, but stops when he realizes Louis isn’t joking. “You can’t be serious.”

They walk into the lunch line, picking up their trays and moving with the crowd.

“Oh, but I am.” Louis grabs two water bottles and tosses one to Harry. He catches it smoothly and puts it on his tray.

“But I don’t act.”

“No one in this school can act! That’s the best part of auditioning, you get to watch all your friends make complete idiots out of themselves.” He picks up a plate of macaroni and cheese and waits for Harry to follow him back to their table. Once they sit down, Harry swirls his fork around the cheesy noodles and looks down uncertainly at his plate. “I don’t know, Lou.”

 

“Oh, come on! It’ll be loads of fun. It’ll be just like those horrendously sappy movies you always watch, except you’re in it. The play is Romeo and Juliet, you don’t get any more romantically cliché than that.”

“What are we talkin’ about now? Are we letting Harry pick the film for tomorrow night? Because I have a paper to write then.” Niall chirps in.

“I’m with Niall on that one, I can’t sit through another one of your ‘classics’, sorry mate.” Zayn adds. Harry furrows his eyebrows and looks up at them both, not knowing how to defend himself without whining. He decides to stays silent and pout in his seat.

“No worries, lads. It’s still my choice. There are auditions for the play tonight, and I want Harry to join me.”

“Why not?” Zayn asks, “Sounds pretty interesting to me.”

“Really?” Harry doesn’t sound convinced. “I don’t want to make a fool of myself.”

 Niall chuckles, “You won’t any more than you normally do. Why don’t we all go?”

“What? You’re going to audition?” Harry looks at them all like they have three heads. “I can’t believe this.”

“Well we can’t let you have all the fun, now can we? You coming with us, Liam?” Niall looks to him, but Liam doesn’t respond. He whistles and waves his hand in front of Liam’s face, but his eyes stay fixed on the table in front of them. Louis follows Liam’s gaze to see Ivy Blair sitting at her table with two other girls, her lunch tray pushed to the side and a sketch book in front of her. She doesn’t seem to be listening to the girls at her table, and they don’t acknowledge her or invite her into their conversation. They just chat away as she silently moves a pen about the book page. For the first time Louis doesn’t see her as the label she’s burdened with. She looks lost, lonely, and…beautiful. This must be the girl Liam has seen, it’d be easy for anyone to fall in love with her.  

            “He’s in love.” Niall bats his eyelashes and puts his face close to Liam’s. Liam immediately pulls his head back and looks from Niall to the rest of the boys.

“What? Sorry, I think I zoned out for a bit. What are we doing?”

“Yeah, you zoned out all right. If ya would’ve stared any longer hearts would’ve melted out of your eyes.” Niall draws two ketchup hearts on his chicken nuggets and holds them up to his eyes, mimicking Liam’s face as he stares at Ivy. All the boys laugh except Liam, who’s face turns red. He slaps the nuggets out of Niall’s hands as he keeps up his laughing fit.

“Quit it! She’ll think we’re watching her if you do shit like that!”

Niall gathers up his chicken nugget massacre before looking up and grinning at Liam. “If she didn’t notice your lovesick puppy face before, she never will.”


End file.
